Associated PressRiders' feet dangle from the flight simulator during the Sum of all Thrills ride in Epcot.When Epcot first opened in 1982, the Future World portion of Walt Disney World’s second theme park was envisioned as a place where the latest systems and technologies could be showcased.

In those early days, the area behind Spaceship Earth was known as Communicore East and Communicore West. Much of the "new" technology of the time, dealing mostly the global communications, seems hopelessly outdated today.

Over the years, the area changed and evolved as technology changed and evolved and was even given a new name — Innoventions East and West, combining innovation with inventions.

Included in the Innoventions pavilions were the latest video games, a peak into the future of the Internet and communications and — what seems to have been a Disney staple for years — a tour of the house of the future.

Several years back, a wise-cracking AudioAnimatronics figure named Alec Tronic was the hit of Innoventions, doing impersonations of everyone from singer Joe Cocker to many of the most recent U.S. presidents (who could ever forget Alec Tronic’s "The Presidents’ Rap"?).

These days, in an effort to give tech-savvy young people what they crave — namely, tech-driven, interactive things — Epcot now features two state-of-the-art attractions which have drawn considerable attention.

The first is Sum of All Thrills, a simulator ride which opened in Innoventions last fall.

The ride features a giant robotic arm — the KUKA RoboSim 4-D Simulator — and a two-seat, enclosed viewing screen. Before they board, guests custom design their own thrill ride using math and science principles.

They then hope aboard the simulator and go for a spin — literally.

Walt Disney WorldThe Kim Possible attraction sends players on a mission to save the world.The other interactive attraction — Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure — allows guests to become "secret agents" as they team up with members of Team Possible to help save the world from several comical villains.

To play, you acquire a Kimmunicator outside one of several World Showcase pavilions. You are given a series of clues which take you to selected areas around the pavilion. Your Kimmunicator allows you to control top-secret equipment inside and outside each pavilion.

If you follow the clues correctly, you’ll help "save the world" from evil villains.

SAY GOODBYE TO McDONALD’S

McDonald’s, which has two fast-food restaurants on Walt Disney World property, is closing its Downtown Disney location on April 30.

McDonald’s will be replaced by Pollo Campero, a Latin chicken fast-food chain. To give you an idea of how big McDonald’s is, the chain serves 47 million people a day; Pollo Campero serves 85 million a year.

McDonald’s said none of its employees in the soon-to-be-shuttered restaurant would lose his or her job; they’ll be transferred to other locations.

McDonald’s will continue to operate its restaurant near the entrance to the Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, off the Oceola Parkway.